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Original Source: Dnevnik, June 5, 2006 Relations Between Neighbors Translated by Aleksandar Stojanovski and Marina Veljanovska “There will always be marginalists who instead of discussion about the future will take us back to the past, but we will abide by the further deepening of our good relations,” Prime Minister Buckovski has said. Starting this year, Macedonia and Bulgaria will celebrate Ilinden and all other holidays together, Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski said after his meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev. It is still uncertain, however, if a joint celebration of the Ilinden Resurrection will be held on 2 August this year. According to Buckovski, it is necessary to meet certain standards beforehand. "We need to further develop Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov’s idea. We may not celebrate jointly the first coming Ilinden, but we should consider joint celebrations," the Macedonian prime minister stated. Both prime ministers agree that political relations between Macedonia and Bulgaria have never been better and that it is necessary to enhance economic cooperation. "We agreed that there will always be marginalists who instead of discussion about the future will take us back to the past, but we will abide by the further deepening of our good relations," Buckovski said. Yesterday he said that it will take goodwill and arguments to persuade Bulgaria of our intentions. "It is a fact that, according to the census there, there is a 5,000-member Macedonian community. There is a community that is supposed to enjoy all the rights guaranteed to minorities," Buckovski says. According to Stanishev, the registration of the party of the Macedonians in Bulgaria OMO Ilinden is not a government responsibility, but it is administered through the Bulgarian courts. He said that the Bulgarian Constitution allows equal identity declaration of all citizens, and according to the 2001 census approximately 5,000 citizens declared themselves as Macedonians.
“I am convinced that we will not allow some political groupings and a few bad people to interfere in the well meant contacts between the two countries. In Bulgaria there are citizens who declare themselves Macedonians and that is not causing any problem, and the solutions for party registration are not part of the government,” Stanishev declared.
Prime Minister Buckovski explained yesterday that they have joined the initiative of the presidents of the two countries. “We can not build a common European future if we have differences in our history. We have to recognize that some of the holidays that we celebrate are also celebrated by the neighboring countries, foremost Bulgaria. The holiday of the all-Slav teachers is celebrated by all Christian Orthodox countries. It is inappropriate for Macedonia to be the only country that has not declared May 24th a national holiday. I just gave a concrete idea that instead of May 2nd we celebrate may 24th as a national holiday. We are the only ones left who celebrate May 2nd having two days off, but we do not want to honor the day of Holy Cyril and Methodius. That is the second possibility for a joint celebration, because Bulgaria also celebrates May 24th,” Buckovski said.
According to the prime minister, one should not look for hidden agendas in the initiative to make Ilinden the first holiday that will be celebrated jointly.
“All the initiatives should be welcomed in good faith. I am convinced that the reason for the good relations that Macedonia and Bulgaria enjoy today is a result of the countries' integration and approximation to the EU. When we join the EU, we will have similar problems like the ones of the Germans and the French, or any other European countries. All the countries with shared history have some specific points whose facts and geography has to be examined," the Macedonian prime minister said. The prime ministers concluded that preconditions for more intensive economic cooperation are in the making. Stanishev promised Bulgaria's support for Macedonia’s EU and NATO integration and that the visas for the Macedonian citizens will be installed in the last possible moment, with least burden possible. The opening of Bulgarian consular offices in Bitola was also announced. Ivan Singartiski - "Ilinden is a Macedonian Resurrection" We strongly oppose any joint celebrations of the holidays of Macedonia and Bulgaria. Ilinden was a Macedonian resurrection. This will give the impression that we are the same people, said Ivan Singartiski, leader of the non-registered party of Macedonians in Bulgaria, OMO Ilinden-PIRIN [United Macedonian Organization-Party of Economic Development and Integration of the Population]. "For 15 years, Bulgaria has used the excuse that it is up to the jurisdiction of the courts to decide on the registration of the party of Macedonians. The actual issue here is when Bulgaria will officially recognize the Macedonian minority within its borders. Prime Minister Stanishev should have answered that, rather than pass the responsibility to the courts," Singartiski said. |
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